Freedom to Speak up Guardian

Job overview

Are you passionate about encouraging and advocating colleagues to speak up?

To be a guardian requires strong partnership working at all levels within the organisation to identify appropriate contacts and escalation routes as sources of support for anything that might be spoken up about.

The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian (FTSUG) will act as an impartial and independent, expert and professional resource for Trust colleagues on all aspects of practice relating to Freedom to Speak Up and associated cultural change in line with our Trust Values; to encourage the embedding of best practice in enabling and supporting Trust staff to raise concerns where they see evidence of risk and unsafe practice.

This role will operate independently, impartially, and objectively, whilst working in partnership with individuals and groups throughout the organisation. The post holder will seek guidance and support from and, where appropriate and escalate matters as required including to bodies outside the organisation.

The post holder will provide a focus on ensuring that colleagues feel able to speak up without fear of detriment to protect patient safety, identify and develop ways to improve barriers to speaking up, improve experience and promote learning and improvement.

The post holder will, adhere with directives from the National Guardian Office, regularly support and contribute to the national and regional networks.

Main duties of the job

• Embed the F2SU service across the Trust including our community and 0-19 services in line with National Guardian Office guidelines
• To promote a culture where staff are encouraged to speak up by raising the profile of Speaking up including challenging poor practice where this is observed.
• To provide effective and compassionate support and guidance to all staff, ensuring action is taken when an issue is brought to their attention. Ensure confidentiality is respected as appropriate, that there is a fair and effective investigation and that regular feedback on progress is provided.
• To ensure action is taken to ensure that groups that may face particular barriers to speaking up have the support they need. To ensure that senior leaders, including the Trust Board, receive regular reports that include information on the number and types of cases they deal with, barriers to speaking up, and details of opportunities for learning and improvement
• To plan events and facilitate collaborative working with clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure the Freedom to Speak Up agenda is fully understood by staff, implementing new ways of working to support this agenda
• To ensure that staff across the Trust have the capability, knowledge and skills they need to speak up themselves and to support others to speak up through appropriate training, resources and easy access to F2SU Champions.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please  see the attached Job Discription and Person Specification. For more information about the role please contact  -

Kate Southgate

Associate Director for Quality and Corporate Affairs

[email protected]

01423 554527